It’s hard to surpass the Tougher Than Leather Tour lineup, EPMD, Public Enemy, D.J. Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, and Run-D.M.C. But Dope Jam1 may have accomplished the impossible. Dope Jam’s lineup of Biz Markie, Ice T, Boogie Down Productions, Doug E. Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew, Kool Moe Dee, and Eric B. & Rakim, boast two, top five emcees of all time 2, a West Coast legend 3, and one of the earliest lyrical innovators4. Each performer dropped a certified classic album in 1988.5 Needless to say, we were excited. This concert, only the crew from the ‘Ville went, Andy, Mike, and me. I am pretty sure Andy drove his dad’s Grand Am with the fly cassette deck, as I remember listening to BDP on the way to the show. More importantly, we learned our lesson from the Tougher Than Leather Tour and arrived early. We got down to the fourth row. I must have been inspired by listening to BDP on the way up and ended up with a By All Means Necesarry album cover t-shirt. I should have got the Eric B. shirt with the concert dates on the back. But, on to the show.
We almost got whiplash, I took off so fast
In the heydays of 80’s rap, Indianapolis was barely a stop on the Fresh Fest Tour. WTLC, 105.7, wasn’t playing rap after the fall of 1985. But despite the lack of local airplay, rap was still growing in popularity. In summer of 1988, the landscape started to change. One of the local radio stations started playing rap.1 Two major tours stopped at Market Square Arena, Run-D.M.C.’s Tougher Than Leather tour and Dope Jam ‘88. Yo! MTV Raps premiered August 6, 1988. It was inevitalbe that some local crews would get into the mix.
Da Buze Bruvaz “Fireproof Viking Helmet” is heat for the year 2G17.1 FIREPROOF VIKING HELMET. Da Buze Bruvaz, consisting of Him-Lo and Clever 1, out of Philadelphia, give us dope beats and rugged rhymes. Mad nice! Him-Lo does his thing on the M.I.C.
The best rap song of 2017 is Mad Nice by Danger Doom feat. Vinny Price and Black Thought, an unreleased track on The Mouse and the Mask: Official Metalface Version reissue. Although, it is possible, it was recorded as early as 2005. The first verse is Black Though dropping jewels about growing up.1
Phife Dawg legend, you could call me Don Juice
I’m the shit right now, what, you need to see proof?
Recently on the internet they chatting
Taking polls, debating who could win in battle rapping
Let’s make it happen, these cyber flows already par
No subliminals, with me you know who the fuck you are
Who wanna spar? Haha, well, here I are
Orthodox spitter or bring on the southpaw
No doubt I’mma set it, dudes best be ready
Off top on the spot, no reading from your Whackberry
Leave the iPhones home, skill sets must be shown
I’mma show you the real meaning of the danger zone, huh
I got it sewn, eh speak to all clones
Untouchable in my zone, watch it, don’t leave him alone
Fuck your ass cheek flows with bars sweeter than scones
Put down microphone
When I first heard Criminal Minded… I was in… Damn, where was I? Seventh grade… Battling this other emcee… Smoking a blunt and drinking a forty down on the lower east side with my ni… I have no idea where I was… I was on my way to a family reunion in a car on the Long Island Expressway… Roosevelt Projects… I was… Outside of church when I was really little and I was doing the Wop with this girl… I mean, I could have been anywhere… Red Alert played one of the songs on the radio… It was so long ago… Yo Merce, what’s up, this is Manson man, I want you to peep that out. Yo kid, I was at this party, this hype party, when I heard KRS Criminal Minded.